Dayett Makes Pitch To Swing At Righties

In spring trainings past, gullible rookies used to be sent to the clubhouse by mischievious veterans to search for a left-handed monkey wrench or a key to the batter`s box.

At 30, Brian Dayett is too old to be playing such games. He wants to know why the Cubs think his 34 1/2-ounce bat only works against left-handed pitchers.

No kidding.

The stocky right-handed power hitter was 2-for-3 Sunday when he was lifted for a pinch hitter in the sixth-inning of the 7-6 loss to the Dodgers. In his prior start, Dayett was 2-for-3, including a two-run homer, before--you guessed it--he was whistled back to the pines for a lefty-swinging pinch hitter.

Dayett is hitting .330 (35-for-106) in his limited duty of starting against left-handed pitchers and, it seems, pinch-hitting only when the moon is full.

Nearly half (17) of his hits are for extra bases: 11 doubles, 1 triple and 5 home runs. Regulars Jody Davis and Leon Durham have about three times as many at-bats as Dayett but only twice as many RBIs. Dayett has walked 17 times, almost three times as much as shortstop Shawon Dunston (6), who has batted 240 times despite being on the disabled list for the last five weeks.

``That`s the way `Stick` has been playing the cards,`` said Dayett of Cubs manager Gene Michael`s platoon system. ``I would like to see myself get up when they bring a left-hander in the game and pinch-hit a little more in those situations.

``He let those (starting left-handed hitters) hit off the lefties the last few weeks. He could have probably put some of us right-handed hitting hitters in there. But that`s just the way he`s been going. But for us right-handed hitters, he`s been pinch-hitting for us immediately.``

The fact is, as troubled as the Cubs are in other areas (relief pitching and clutch hitting), they are loaded with high-percentage hitting outfielders.

Entering Tuesday`s three-game series at Wrigley Field with the Montreal Expos, four of the six Cub outfielders are hitting .300 or more. Andre Dawson is hitting .293 with 27 homers and 85 RBIs. Rafael Palmeiro, who platoons with Dayett along with veteran Jerry Mumphrey, is hitting .286.

Mumphrey is batting .316, Bobby Dernier .362 and David Martinez .307.

``The average is up there mainly because I`ve only been facing lefties, but I do feel confident,`` said Dayett, whose playing time was most adversely affected by the signing of Dawson, a four-time All-Star and six-time Gold Glove winner.

``It`s tough to keep your timing because of the strange rotations we get. There are some long layoffs in there. I don`t start for four or five days, and then you don`t know what`s going to happen. He`s been batting me in the fourth slot, so he`s showing a lot of confidence in me in that way.``

It`s hard enough to keep your head in the game, not to mention your body, when you play once a week or so.

``You feel a little strong because you`re not playing every day. Your body is rested up, and you have a tendency to be jumping at the ball,`` said Dayett. ``My first at-bat the other night, I felt like that. You`re so full of energy that you just want to go.``

Dayett said he doesn`t want to be stereotyped as only being able to hit left-handed pitching.

``It seems like when I do face a righty, it`s just a one-shot deal. Like a pinch-hit, or the game is out of hand and they bring in a righty. It`s been tough for me there because I haven`t gotten any consecutive at-bats against righties.

``During spring training, I faced more righties than lefties. Then all of a sudden the season started here, and it`s been the opposite way. So that`s a big adjustment.``

Michael thoroughly defends the platoon system as being best for the team. No one can dispute the results. The numbers support him.

``There`s not always something to that lefty-righty theory, unless the numbers tell you there is,`` said Michael, who has also been platooning at first base on a more regular basis with veterans Manny Trillo and Leon Durham. ``Bobby Dernier is doing a heck of a job, and so is Martinez. It`s just working out really good,`` Dayett had to admit.

But Dayett can`t help but wonder what he could do on a more regular basis. After spectacular offensive seasons in the minors (he hit 69 home runs in a two-year stretch at Triple-A Columbus and Double A-Nashville) and good showings in spring training, he`s receiving his first extended stay in the majors.

``You can get a tendency to try to pull a lefty too much,`` said Dayett of the hazards of his specialty. ``A lot of lefties up here in the majors like to pitch outside a lot, so I try to stroke some balls to right-center. I think I`ve been effective that way.

``If they come inside, I try to react and turn on them. I just try to get up to bat and get good quality swings, and I think I`ve shown that because half of my hits are for extra bases.``

Dayett was satisfied with his two hits off Dodgers starter Fernando Valenzuela last Sunday.

``Valenzuela has that real good screwball, and he`s tough against lefties and righties,`` said Dayett. ``You really have to bear down.``